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WEEK 5 Mental Models and Conceptual Design

Learning Outcomes

  • Understand mental models and their importance in user experience (UE).

  • Learn about conceptual models and design as key elements.

  • Apply these concepts in design.

  • See real-world examples.

Cognitive Frameworks

  • Internal Processes: How users think about an interface.

  • External Processes: How users interact with technology and its environment.

Conceptual Design

  • Essential for creating systems users can understand.

Conceptual Models

  • Definition: A blueprint for how systems should work and be understood.

  • Essence of a Good Conceptual Model:

    • Defines system behavior at a high level.

    • Offers insights into user understanding of the system.

Research and System Image

  • Aligning how users think (mental models) with the system's design.

  • Norman and Draper's View (1986): Shows how system design affects user perception.

Concept Generation Process

  • Structure: An iterative process with phases for exploration, refinement, and selection.

  • Granularity: Helps focus on important concepts through design phases.

User Interface Design Process

  • Evolving Iterations:

    • Understand user needs, refine design, and confirm through testing.

  • Key Actions:

    • Analyze tasks and use design guidelines.

    • Conduct field testing to observe user engagement and usability.

Conceptual Design Activities

  • Doing Conceptual Design:

    • Structure information space and create different solutions.

    • Use tools like sketching, brainstorming, card sorting, flowcharts, scenarios, and storyboards.

Exclusions in Conceptual Model

  • Low-level details like specific menus or widgets.

Inclusions in Conceptual Models

  • Use of metaphors (e.g., desktop).

  • Defining relationships among concepts, user interactions, and terminology.

Metaphors in Interaction

  • Familiar concepts helping users interact with systems.

  • Examples: Digital operations symbolized by e-books or cloud services (e.g., Dropbox, iCloud).

Mapping and Interaction Types

  • Conceptual Mapping: Links user actions with system responses.

  • Types of User Interaction:

    • Instructing: Giving commands.

    • Conversing: Talking with the system.

    • Manipulating: Interacting with objects.

    • Exploring: Navigating environments.

Interface Types

  • Includes mobile, GUI, command line, haptic, and desktop interfaces.

Conceptual Design Methods

Brainstorming

  • Team-based sessions focused on generating many ideas quickly, often using whiteboards.

Card Sorting

  • Helps discover user-driven groupings of information for navigation and labeling.

Semantic Networks

  • A visual method to connect related elements and explore problem spaces.

Flowcharts

  • Visual diagrams showing application structures and navigation.

Scenarios

  • Stories describing typical user tasks and their contexts.

Mental Models Importance

  • Capture individual user preferences and behaviors for personalized interactions.

Formation of Mental Models

  • Developed through personal experience, observations, or instructions.

  • Users' mental models shape their interactions with systems.

Comparison of Mental Models and Conceptual Design

  • Mental Models: Users' understanding of the system.

  • Conceptual Design: Designers' framework for that understanding.

Strategies for Development

  • Personalizing experiences, clear communication on features, and educational content improve mental model formation.

User Methods for Understanding Mental Models

  • Use interviews, cognitive walkthroughs, surveys, and usability tests.

Summary

  • Outlines the relationship between user mental models and designer conceptual models, emphasizing their importance for effective design.